Kurdistan’s Weekly Brief February 21

Iran

The Iranian regime denied permission for the Kurdish language to be taught in the Kurdish city of Mariwan. The municipality in Mariwan city refused to issue a permit to an institution to teach the Kurdish language.

According to Kurdpa News Agency, two Kurdish citizens of Iran from Saqqez were sentenced to one and a half year suspended jail. An associate in the revolutionary court told Kurdpa that these two individual were accused of affiliation to Kurdish opposition parties. Meanwhile, the regime has executed two Kurdish youth for “drug-related crimes.”

Iraq

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) released a statement in regards to the ongoing arbitral proceedings between the KRG and Dana gas. In the statement, the MNR called the previous statement by Dana Gas claiming to win another court case against the KRG as “materially misleading.” The MNR said: “The Tribunal did not award damages against the KRG in respect of the SAP.” In the statement, the MNR shows five ruling in favorite of the KRG.

A joint special operation by Kurdistan’s Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) and the U.S. led coalition in Mosul resulted in the killing of six senior ISIS commanders. “The Health Minister of the Caliphate State, Salah Hassan, the Health Minister of the Sham [Levante] State, Abubakir Hamsi, the Russian-born Abubakir Chichan, an ISIL leader, and Abu Fatima, the head of Nineveh Finance, as well as Ahmed Zyad, the head of the Nineveh Health Office, were killed,” the CTG statement said.

Syria

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued to push ISIS back in the liberation of Raqqa offensive. Last week the SDF backed by the U.S. led coalition were able to liberate three strategic villages northern the city of Raqqa. During the clashes, 5 ISIS members including one suicide bomber were captured and several others killed. The SDF revealed the names of two of their fighters fell in in the operation last week.

Manbij Military Council (MMC), part of the SDF opened a new training academy for newly joint fighters from Manbij city. The first round of the training included 27 volunteers, and it will take 3 months for their graduation. The MMC formed last year to liberate Manbij from ISIS. After the liberation from ISIS, the city joined the self-administration of the northern Syria federation.

During an interview with Al Bayan news agency the Co-president of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Salih Muslim said:” Syria would not go back to Al-Baath Party era.” In the interview, Muslim said that the Federal system in Northern Syria is an experience resulted due to the unique status of Syria and is not necessary to be implemented to the Kurds in Turkey and Iraq.

Turkey

The People’s Democratic Party (HDP) filed an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding the imprisonment of both HDP Co-chairs Selahattin Demirtash and Figen Yuksekdag. The application is signed by several HDP deputies, who describe jailing the Co-chairs of HDP as “a violation of the right to freedom and security, and freedom of speech,” given that HDP is the third largest party in the country. The HDP deputies accused the government of jailing the opposition parties who are against the presidential power in the upcoming referendum on April 16, 2017. On February 17, The Turkish government denied an international delegation to see Demirtash in prison. The delegation was organized by the European-Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC).

Graphic videos and photos of dead Kurdish men were released by Turkish soldiers on social media after a raid took place on a Kurdish village in Nusaybin district, Mardin Province. The HDP immediately released an urgent call demanding updates from the besieged village. The Turkish government blocked delegations from the HDP and other local Kurdish parties to visit the village. According to media reports, 39 people have been detained and three killed in the village. The posts on social media suggest that those who were tortured and killed are members the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The police arrested the HDP deputy of Shirnak province, Ferhat Encu. Recently the HDP deputy spent 104 days in jail and was released on Wednesday. Encu send a message via his lawyer calling his arrest a “scandalous decision.”